There are several different types of hearing aids that people may choose to use. Each tend to come with different features as well as different benefits and disadvantages. Picking the right hearing aid isn’t always as ebay as it may seem, since several different types can work for different types of hearing loss. Some standard features that should be looked for include: directional microphones, battery life, wind noise avoidance, amplification ability and manual volume control. The right hearing aid can really improve the quality of life of anyone who has started to lose their hearing, or is suffering from severe hearing loss. This article will focus on the multiple different styles that are available on the market and quickly highlight some of the good and bad aspects of each. 

1 - Behind The Ear

A behind the ear (BTE) hearing aid is one of the largest options that people can choose from and is the most noticeable. The main electronics are located behind the ear and a tube will connect down to a custom earpiece that fits inside. A behind the ear hearing aid will do this through the use of a tube. There are a lot of benefits to a BTE hearing aid. They have a little bit more power and can last longer on a battery. They can also amplify sound better than other models. These models tend to work for any level of hearing loss, which is good for someone who may be suffering from a slowly degenerative form of hearing loss. The main downside to a BTE hearing aid is that they can sometimes pick up a lot of wind noise. The appearance is also noticeable, which can bother some people who are trying to hide the use of a hearing aid. 

2 - In The Ear

Contrary to the BTE form of hearing aid is the in the ear (ITE) model. There’s two different kinds of these hearing aids. The first is a full shell hearing aid that fits into the entire bowl area of a person’s outer ear. The second option is a half shell style that will fill the lower part of a person’s bowl ear. These are still fairly strong hearing aids that can take advantage of a directional microphone because it’s still exposed to the outside air. These herding aids have a long battery life and can have some expanded features that small options don’t. On the downside, wind noise is still an issue and sometimes earwax can clog the speaker so they need to be well maintained and cleaned. 

3 - In The Canal

These types of hearing aids are smaller and are placed directly into the hearing canal. They will be custom molded to a person’s ear as well so that the fit is better. These are less visible. Despite the name, they don’t sit completely in the canal. Part of the hearing aid will be down into the canal. These hearing aids are pretty small, so some won’t have extra features while others may struggle to get access to them and change them due to the location. 

4 - Completely In The Canal

Many people have chosen a completely in the canal (CIC) hearing aid. These are the very smallest hearing aids and rest entirely within the ear canal of affected people. Since they are located so deeply, they don’t often pick up noise from the wind and they are very difficult to see. The downside is that they have small batteries and lack extra features. In most cases, these type of hearing aids are best for people with only mild or moderate hearing loss.